The Lost One
by PoisnousPixie
Summary: After the Cell Saga, Chi-Chi found out she was pregnant. She was elated, but there was a complication. Depressed, and heartbroken, she wandered West City, and found the Shop. The woman inside told her she could carry to term, for a price. AU


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot.

**Characters: **Chi-Chi, Yuuko  
**Rating:** G  
**Word Count:** 2,702  
**Auther Notes: **I've had this written and sitting on my computer for a while. Enjoy...

* * *

Chi-Chi was walking through city with a sense of detachment. She knew she was supposed to head over to Bulma's, to pick up Gohan, but at the moment couldn't bare to face her son and friend. Things had gotten so stressful since Goku's death, and when she'd found out she was pregnant it'd been a moment of not only joy, but panic as well.

Raising Gohan had been hard, with Goku around. Not that she would have changed anything about it, she loved Gohan, and had wonderful memories of when he was little. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like if Goku hadn't been there, and part of her didn't want to know. She hadn't thought of the possibility of terminating the child, as it would be the last gift Goku had left for her. She would cherish it, if she were being given the chance.

The other morning she had noticed blood, as though she were on her menstrual cycle, and had contacted her doctor as quickly as possible. What she'd been told today, was not something she had had any desire or wish to hear.

One piece of news she would have loved to hear a short while ago, made the bad news she'd received all the more painful.

Twins.

She carried twins inside her.

There was a complication, and the chances of either making it through this first term of the pregnancy was near impossible. It would be safer, the doctor had said, to terminate now, before she could grow any more attached to the children, and before any damage could be done to her.

She'd been given a few numbers of several places where an abortion could be done, and had promised to make an appointment to see the doctor afterwards.

Her heart ached at the idea of making this decision, and tears fell down her face unnoticed, as she walked. People moved out of her way, her sadness and pain becoming an almost tangible thing around her.

Suddenly, her feet stopped of their own accord. Sniffling, she wiped her tears away, and tried to stifle the shaking in her body. It was so hard to breathe through this cloud of pain, and she couldn't help but let her body sink down closer to the ground. Her knees folded up into her body, as one arm wrapped around her knees and the other covered her eyes. She let out a sob, and tried hard to pull herself back together.

In her pocketbook, the phone Bulma had given her began to ring. She ignored it, as she stay in position, unable to pick herself back up. The sound of the ringing did nothing but make her think of her son at Bulma's house, worried about her sudden need to see a doctor, and in essence, her husband who had died before she'd found out about the twins.

Life had been hard on her family, and she couldn't help but hate whatever god it was that had cursed them now. She knew she was harsh some times, but did she really deserve this kind of pain? This sort of loss, after having losing so much?

The ringing faded, and stopped, and she was able to calm just a bit. The pain remained, as did her anger, but the tears and sobs had stopped, and she was able to stand again. Holding onto her arms, she hugged herself, and blinked a few times to finish collecting herself.

She took in her surroundings, and was unsurprised to find she had no idea where she was. A ringing sound, like wind chimes, caught her attention, and she turned to look at a large building. It had a strange, old-fashion quality to it, looking as though it were made long before the dome-like buildings that were more common. Try as she might, she couldn't tear her eyes away from this building, mostly, it was the gold crescent moons attached to poles on the roof. They glinted in the sun, and soon, her feet moved her closer.

Within a few moments, she found herself by the door, and just stared at it for a long time, unsure what to do. Slowly, with a hesitancy Chi-chi could not remember having ever felt before, she opened the door and stepped in. She knew it was rude, as this was not her home, nor did she knew whom the building belonged too, but something in the back of her mind edged her on, pushing her forward.

She stood in the doorway, unable to back out like she knew she should, but almost afraid to move forward.

"Hello." Came a smooth, velvety voice.

Chi-Chi turned her head slightly, and found herself looking at a tall woman with long black hair, and skin as white as snow. The woman was dressed in a loose kimono, and barefoot, her hair loose, falling around her straight and a bit messy. On anyone else, this would have made for an exceptionally indecent appearance to someone like Chi-Chi, but on this woman, it almost seemed... elegant.

"O-oh... I'm sorry," Chi-Chi said, rubbing at her face, knowing she must look horrible. As she reached up, she felt stray strands of her own black hair, "I didn't mean to intrude... I just..."

"Come inside, let's have tea, shall we?" The woman turned and walked down the hall.

Chi-Chi followed behind, feeling unable to pull away, she paused only long enough to remove her shoes.

Soon, she found herself sitting at a table with this dark haired woman, sipping at wonderful tasting green tea. The woman had finally introduced herself as Ichihara, Yuuko. A wish granter. Chi-Chi nearly laughed at this statement, as far as she knew the only thing that could grant wishes was the person making the wish, working hard for it, or the Dragonballs.

"Only those who have wish to be granted can enter this shop." Yuuko told her in that eerily calm, and serious voice.

Chi-Chi shook her head, "I have no wish, and if I did, I wouldn't...." She trailed off, her mind thinking back to the Dragonballs. Of course they were the first thing that had popped into her mind, but she had been forced to remind herself that the balls had been used just recently to undo the damage that Cell had done. She looked down, "I guess... I do have a wish," She whispered, feeling weak for the tears beginning to regather in her eyes.

Yuuko stayed silent, just watching Chi-Chi through sharp, knowing deep red-brown eyes.

Chi-Chi looked sniffled, and looked up at Yuuko, "My husband died just recently, and I found out just afterwards that I was pregnant." She paused to take gulp of air, "I thought I could handle his death, with the help my son, and the child growing within me."

"But something has happened?" Yuuko asked, her voice had a strange soothing effect on Chi-Chi that the woman couldn't explain.

"It's turns out that it's twins." Chi-Chi spoke, her voice dripping with unshed tears.

"This is something you are unpleased with?"

"No, I love the idea of it being twins." Chi-Chi corrected her, bitting back a sob, "There's been a complication, and.... They won't make to the end of the first term... my doctor has said that... that..."

"You should abort the children?" Yuuko finished the sentence Chi-Chi was unable too. She sat, watching the woman nod, and hide her face in her hands, while her shoulders shook. Yuuko hadn't had a wish like this come to her in a long time, and she had hoped it would not come along now.

"I- I don't know how...." Chi-Chi shook her head, and slowly lowered her hands. She didn't know why she felt the need to tell this woman anything, she didn't know her, and really, shouldn't she be talking to Bulma, who was the closest thing Chi-Chi had to a best friend? "I just lost Goku, and just got Gohan back, to loose these two now, I just... I can't..."

"And you simply won't be able to live with yourself if something happens to these twins," Yuuko stated calmly, she took a sip of her tea, and stared at Chi-Chi. "Maru, Moro," she called.

Two girls came into the room, both pale, and young looking. One had long pale blue hair, and the other short cotton candy colored hair. The two girls were creepy, though Chi-Chi couldn't quite place why. Perhaps the way that they wore the exact same expression, and stood with the exact same posture. It was one thing to look alike, in the way that their facial features were near replicas, but to hold themselves the same.... like two mirror reflections.

"Get me the green and white bag." She told them, and both girls have a quick 'Right!', and turned and disappeared, all with the same movements.

"Wha..." Chi-Chi turned her gaze from where the disturbing girls had been, to where Yuuko sat.

Yuuko continued to hold herself with the same calm and cool energy, "I'm going to grant your wish," She began, "There are differences between the wishes that Shenron grants, and the ones that I grant..."

"Differences?"

The girls came back into the room, and set a Chinese bag, about the size of a brown paper lunch bag. It was made of shiny deep green fabric, with strange white symbols embroidered on the front, and white ribbon ties. It smelled faintly of raspberries. "Make a tea with this, drink it twice a day, once before bed, and once when you wake in the morning."

Chi-Chi reached out to touch the bag when Yuuko motioned for her too, "T-Thank you... b-but what.."

"Differences are there?" Yuuko asked, her eyes locked on Chi-Chi's. "I require payment."

"Payment..." Chi-Chi repeated the word numbly, "I don't have much money."

"Not money. For each wish to be granted, I must receive something that is of equal value to the wish I'm granting."

Chi-Chi's eyes were wide, her mind racing with questions. What could be of equal value to the life of two innocent babies? Her mind froze when the face of her ten year old son popped into her mind, "My so-"

"No, you're son, is... ten, you said?" Yuuko waited for Chi-Chi to nod, and then continued, "He has been tainted by life, and from what you've told me much moreso than that of a normal ten year old boy." She leaned back, "Payment, will be required, and I will take it when I can." She paused, searching Chi-Chi's eyes, "Know that if you do as I've told you, and am going to tell you, you're twins will be born, and will live to be healthy."

Chi-Chi locked her eyes on the bag, "Healthy, and happy?"

"That, I can not promise. They will live through the pregnancy, and will not die due to any normal causes of infant death. If something from an outside source were to harm them.... there is nothing I can do about that."

"But they will live through infancy, I can carry them to full term with this tea?" Chi-Chi asked, eyes bright with hope.

"Yes." Yuuko stated, "But you must remember that payment will be required, and when the time comes for me to collect, you must let me do so."

Chi-Chi thought for a moment, trying to think of any other options. "May... may I think about it?"

Yuuko waited for a long moment, and then nodded. "Of course. It is your wish."

Chi-Chi stood to leave. Yuuko stayed at the table, but when she heard the front door open, she called out to Chi-Chi, "You did not stumble upon this shop for no reason, we were meant to meet. Keep that in mind, Mrs. Son."

Silence fell, and stayed, heavy and thick for a few moments. Finally, the front door closed, and the sound of Chi-Chi walking away were heard.

Two days later, Chi-Chi returned. She had gone back to Capsule Corp, where she'd told Bulma everything the doctor had said. She did, however, leave out everything that had to do with her break down, and finding Yuuko and her shop. As well as the offer that was already made.

Chi-Chi and Gohan spent the night at Capsule Corp, and in the morning Bulma contacted a few doctor-friends, some very expensive doctors who specialized in the matter of pregnancy and birth, and had assisted Bulma during her own pregnancy with Trunks.

They told her the same thing her own doctor had.

Chi-Chi and Gohan had stayed another night at Capsule Corp, this time Bulma and Chi-Chi stayed up late into the night, talking, trying to find some other option. None was found. Gohan had no idea what to say to his mother, and was just as upset as she was, and Vegeta didn't acknowledge her at all, other than a few glances, before he'd gone off to the Gravity Chamber to train, or the night before when he'd come in from training.

This morning, Chi-Chi had gotten up before Vegeta or Bulma, and after checking on Gohan who had slept in the nursery with Trunks, she left.

Now, she stood in front of Yuuko's shop, in the early hours of the morning. She knocked on the door, but no answer came. She knocked again, feeling slightly desperate, her fist slamming into the door harder than she had realized.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a tall boy with dark hair, and glasses answered. He wore an apron, and held a spatula in one hand.

"Hello, are you a friend of Yuuko's?" He asked, staring at her for a long few seconds.

"No... Umm.." She paused, "A customer, I suppose..."

"Oh..." He moved out of her way, "Would you like to come in?"

She glanced into the silent building, "Is Yuuko awake, I know it's early.... and..."

"I'm awake." Yuuko appeared, seemingly from thin air, "I was wondering when you would return Mrs. Son, come in."

Chi-Chi hesitated for a moment, before wondering inside. She followed Yuuko back into the building, further than she'd been before. The room they stopped in held a fainting couch, and countless other little trinkets, it was cluttered, but held a mystical feeling that sent chills through Chi-Chi's spine. "I..." She paused, as Yuuko draped her lithe body over the couch, and reached over her head to a little table that held the green and white bag from before.

"You have decided to have your wish granted." Yuuko stated, voice slightly showing signs of sleep still holding her. She lifted the bag, and sat up, holding it out for Chi-Chi to take. "You'll pay, when the time comes, without a fuss?"

Chi-Chi chewed on her bottom lip, a bad habit, she told herself. She had a moment of doubt, but it lasted only a moment, as the faces of so many doctors that told her there wasn't a chance. Of the sad, tearful eyes of her son. The pitying looks from Bulma, and hell, even Vegeta had seemed sad for her, in his own, cold-hearted 'I'm too much of a bastard to act it or say it, but sorry for your loss' way. Making up her mind, she took the bag, her hand gripping the top tightly, "When I wake and before bed, right?"

Yuuko nodded, pulling her hand back. She lounged back on the couch, throw an arm over her eyes, "Good luck with the pregnancy." She stated coolly.

"Umm... about the payment..." Chi-Chi began, but stopped when Yuuko moved her arm slightly, and peeked out at her from under the long pale appendage.

"Don't worry about it. I'll come for it when the time is right."

Chi-Chi nodded, and when nothing else was said, she bowed low and turned to leave. She left the building with the bag clutched tight in her hand, her head held high, and lips set in a tight line, as she tried to concentrate on what she was doing. This had to work, it just had too.

When she reached the edge of the property, she turned to give one last glance at the building, and found, to her shock, it was gone...

_**To Be Continued.**_


End file.
